Live Like a Malfoy
by blue artemis
Summary: Hermione is given a chance to change her mundane life.


"Why are you so willing to settle for the mundane?" asked Ginny.

"What do you mean, mundane? I have a good, steady job. I have security. I like security," responded Hermione.

"Just think about it, will you? I'm stuck. I made my choice, and I stick by it, but you are free, love. No Ron wanting you to be the mother of his fifteen children, no real need for that job, just your love of mundanity."

"What would you have me do, Ginny? That camping trip made me hate travel. I know, I will open the Wizarding World's first exotic dancing club. I may not look like Lavender or the Patils, but I'm infamous enough to get some customers who want to see me starkers, don't you think?"

"Oh, stop thinking like that! Although, the dancing club certainly has some merits..." Ginny shook her head. "Think like a Malfoy. Heck, spend a weekend like a Malfoy, here!"

Hermione took the flyer thrust at her with trepidation.

_Live __Like __a __Malfoy__!_

_The __Malfoy __family __is __opening __up __their __newly __renovated __Manor_

_to __all __those __who __wish __to __spend __a __weekend_

_in __splendor__. _

_Enjoy __the __peacocks __on __the __fabulous __grounds__._

_Eat __foods __never __touched __by __human __hands__._

_Sleep __on __the __finest __silks__._

_Be __treated __like __the __royalty __you __know __you __should __be__!_

_Contact__: __Firehook __at __Gringotts __for __details_

"Firehook?" Hermione looked at Ginny. "For Firehook to be involved, this must cost a pretty penny."

"Well, yes, but here. Happy Birthday!"

"Ginny..."

"We only want you to have a good weekend being pampered. You don't seem to have anything against the Malfoys anymore."

"How could I? Narcissa apologized in public, and Draco came up with that potion to get rid of Bella's artwork. They all seem more human after Harry dissolved that marriage, but still. Lucius is an enigma; he must need the money."

"No, I don't think so. Maybe he just found a novel way of meeting suitable women?"

"This doesn't say no Muggle-borns, Gin."

"I meant those that weren't after his money."

Hermione thought long and hard about what Ginny had said. _Maybe __I __have __given __into __the __mundane__. __I __mean__, __I __do __live __in __the __magical __world __and __I__'__ve __become __a __boring __government __employee__. __Well__, __I __shall __see __how __this __weekend __at __the __Manor __goes__, __and __maybe __it __will __be __time __to __resign __and __find __something __new __to __do__._

"I can't believe you conspired with the Potters to get Her-Miss Granger here!"

"Oh, for Merlin's sake, Lucius, stop being such a drama queen. You know you've been fascinated with her ever since she bumped into you as a child," Narcissa replied.

"Is it my fault that my flawless genetic make up let me know just how compatible our magic was? Made my life bloody impossible."

"Stop whining, dearest. You will get the witch of your dreams, I'm perfectly happy in Paris, and Draco is getting married soon to a perfectly acceptable girl. Just don't muck it up."

Lucius frowned at his ex-wife's departing back. Just because they had ended up the best of friends following the dissolution of their marriage did not mean she could take such liberties.

_Now__, __how __to __entice __her __to __stay __with __me __and __enjoy __life__... __I __know__, __the __library__._

Hermione looked at her portkey with trepidation, then repeating to herself her new mantra: _I __refuse __to __be __mundane__!_ she reached out to touch it at the appointed hour.

She felt the familiar hook behind her navel and she was whirled through space to arrive in the newly renovated reception foyer at Malfoy Manor.

She landed gracefully, then looked around.

"If Missy would follow me, Dribble will show her to her room." A small elf with blue eyes and a nice tea-towel toga looked up at Hermione.

Hermione nodded and followed the elf, amused more than surprised when her bags disappeared with a snap of the small creature's fingers.

She was taken to a sumptuous room straight from any woman's fantasy. The colors were neutral, but when Hermione thought that the accent pillows on the couch would do to be a nice deep blue and purple, the colors changed. She was delighted.

She unpacked what little of her bags the elves had left untouched and settled in the window seat with a book. It may not be great literature, but she always did enjoy the number series by Janet Evanovich.

A small pop interrupted her reading. "Missy, dinner is ready. Please follow me."

Hermione followed Dribble out the door, down a hallway or two and then entered the dining room. As she walked in, Lucius stood up.

"Miss Granger, a pleasure to see my first guest. Welcome to Malfoy Manor," he said, holding out his hand to her.

"Mr. Malfoy, thank you for letting me be part of your life for a weekend. I appreciate the opportunity to leave my mundane life," she responded. "How many others will be here this weekend?"

"We were to have four more guests, but they cancelled. It shall just be the two of us, Miss Granger."

Hermione swallowed hard, she had been expecting a buffer between herself and the man she'd had a crush on since she was thirteen. _I __refuse __to __be __mundane__! _"Well, we shall just have to do our best to entertain each other, Mr. Malfoy. And please call me Hermione."

"Well said, Hermione. I am just Lucius here at home, where there is no pretence to be had."

Hermione nodded.

Lucius pulled out a seat to his right for her, and they sat down to eat.

It was a wonderful meal; the house-elves had pulled out the stops. There were appetizers to tempt any palate, two different soups, salads, pheasant, halibut and roast beef. The desserts were all chocolate.

"Mmmmm. I love chocolate."

Lucius was taken from his reverie by the sound of Hermione's pleasure. The sound went straight to his groin. He coughed.

"Don't you like chocolate?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, I most certainly do, Hermione, but apparently not quite as much as you do."

Hermione mulled over his words in her head, and then throwing all caution to the wind, smiled at him slowly.

"Hm, well, yes. Let's see, Hermione, would you like a tour?"

"Yes, I would. Show me your home, Lucius."

The tour went well, the hallways had been changed, and there were no reminders of her days there as a prisoner.

"I can't believe you told Severus that black would make him more intimidating," she said.

"Well, for heaven's sake, he loved green and purple, woman. He'd be the evil Dumbledore if I had allowed it!"

Hermione dissolved into giggles at the thought. "You realize I don't believe a word of that, and I'm quite certain that Professor Snape would return to haunt you if it were true."

Lucius chuckled, the sound resonating through Hermione's body. "Be that as it may, here is our last stop, my dear. The library."

Hermione was led through double doors into a room that rivaled the Bodleian. She gasped, clasping her hands to her heart as though she had just been presented with a perfect diamond. "It's amazing, Lucius. What part of it is off limits?"

"None of it, my dear. You may read every single book in here if you like."

The smile Hermione beamed at Lucius warmed him to his toes.

"I shall leave you here, my dear. Call Dribble if you need anything."

* * *

Hermione looked at the graceful, handsome man standing in the door of the library and again threw caution to the wind. "I think I would rather spend some time with you, if you don't mind."

Lucius's expression became predatory at her words. "Not at all my dear, not at all."

Years later, after a whirlwind courtship and spectacular wedding, Lucius asked Hermione what made her stay.

"Well, if you were willing to let me read every book in your library, then you were definitely someone I wanted to know. The rest of the weekend in your bed just sealed it."

"You do know the whole thing was a set up, don't you?"

"I figured it out when I was the only guest. But leaving would have been mundane."

;


End file.
